“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)

           “Grace” is salvation that is NOT earned, it is a gift.  We do nothing to deserve it.  It is God’s kindness, love, and mercy given to us despite our flaws and sinful nature.

           Grace is given through our “faith.” It is received simply by trusting and believing in God, not by adhering to a checklist of religious rules and regulations.

We receive the “gift” of grace through our faith. For faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1) This gift, this gift of grace is freely given with no strings attached.   Sometimes in our humanness we apply strings to our gifts. We think I did this for you, now you need to do this for me.  That is not the case with God.  With God there are no strings attached.  

           Being saved through grace, our belief in God has nothing to do with what happens to us in life.  Life can be hard, unfair, and very painful.  But life can be good and wonderful too.  Our salvation is entirely a gift; no one can earn it or brag about being “good enough.”

           In life we need to make a shift from “fairness” to “grace.”  Our standing with God is based on His gift, not our performance.  We need to let go of the thought to “earn” a smooth life through good behavior is false. Life happens.  What God offers us by His grace is that He is present in all situations and circumstances.  God promises to be “with you” in all of life—the good, the bad, and the ugly.  For God gives us a calm mind that defies the chaotic circumstances.

           So instead of saying: “I am doing everything right, why is this happening to me?” to “This situation is not fair, but God is still good, and He will help me get through it.”  See the difference?  It is something to remember.  God Bless. Amen.

denise